Kahka

About two hundred historical architectural monuments of the ancient times were discovered in the region of Kahka. These include Abiverd, Ak-Depe, Altyn-Depe, Gara-Depe and Namazga-Depe.

Abiverd is one of the cities of the North Khorasan repeatedly mentioned in the written sources, especially from the times of Arabian conquest. Baverd (Abiverd) is "the place of numerous crops and fields" in the Persian geographic work "Hudud al-Alem".

Ak-Depe. A big hill, surrounded by a moat. In the ancient times it was a castle with two huge towers.

Altyn-Depe is Turkmenistan's only internationally recognised Zoroastrian Ziggurat. The Altyn-Depe (Golden Hill) fortress dates back to the 3rd - the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. During the excavations a monumental cult complex with ziggurat dedicated to the God of Moon was discovered.

Gara-Depe. The total area of this site is 15 hectares. Moderate climate had created conditions for the long life of this ancient settlement. It already existed in the 3rd millennium BC. People of Gara-Depe were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. The artisans widely used copper, bone, wood and clay. Historians call Gara-Depe "the town of ancient artists".

Namazga-Depe. A vast territory of 70 hectares. People inhabited this area already in the 3rd millennium BC. First archaeological excavations took place here in 1930-1940. Archaeologists discovered here ceramic lampshades, clay vessels and pots, dated to the 3rd-2nd millennium BC.